Lead Story - 5/4/2024 Season 8 pre-season preview and predictionsSeason 8 preseason predictions
OG Division
Predicted Standings:
1925 Yankees
1901 Pirates
1911 Athletics
Best Offense: Yankees
Lineups in the OG division typically have less power and depend on speed (Pirates are a great version of this type of offense). The Yankees have Ruth and Gehrig.
Best Defense: Pirates
SS Terry Turner may be the best defender in the league with 5.35 dWAR. Barry Bonds is BY FAR the best OF in the division with 2.5 dWAR. Those two are buttressed by solid defenders at 2B (Ritchey), 3B (Leach), and C (Schang).
Best Pitching: Pirates
Rube Waddell and Jack Chesboro give Pittsburgh the best 1-2 in the division. The Yankees have the best ace and bullpen, but the Pirates overall rotation is much deeper 2-5.
Golden Era Division
Predicted Standings:
1948 Dodgers
1953 Cubs
1936 Tigers
Best Offense: Dodgers
The Dodgers and Tigers are neck and neck. Duke Snider, Roy Campanella, and Arky Vaughn are super elite over 1000 OPS hitters and they are joined in the lineup by lower level but still elite Carl Furillo and excellent leadoff hitter Jackie Robinson. The Tigers have Greenberg, Goslin, Simmons and Cochrane, with Gehringer leading off. Both offenses have two other hitters above 900 OPS. What puts the Dodgers a tick above is an extra 850+ ops hitter, and Jackie Robinson has 8 speed, whereas Gehringer is 5.
Best Defense: Cubs
This time the Cubs and Dodgers are neck and neck. SS Ernie Banks and Pee Wee Reese are both around 3.5 dwar. The cubs have Randy Jackson (1.86) at 3B and Gene Baker (1.37) at 2B. The Dodgers have Roy Campanella (1.09) at C, and Jackie Robinson (1.79) at 2B. Ultimately the Cubs project to take away 4 more hits, so they get top billing, but the Dodgers are right there.
Best Pitching: Cubs
The Cubs Arrieta, Dodgers Koufax, and Tigers Verlander are all of similar quality as aces, but the Cubs Howie Pollet and Warren Hacker are the clear best 2/3 guys in the division.
Astroturf Division
Predicted Standings:
1964 Giants
1989 Expos
1970 Twins
Best Offense: Giants
Willie Mays, Duke Snider, and Willie McCovey are elite 1.000+ OPS, .600+ SLG hitters. Cepeda is also elite in the league player pool at .972 OPS and .609 SLG. Add Barry Bonds god-level 1.383 OPS and .799 SLG and this offense can hang with Golden Era slugging teams, let alone the lower offensive era Astroturf division.
Best Defense: Giants
The Twins weren’t too far behind, but Hal Lanier’s 3.88 dWAR and Willie Mays 2.03 give the Giants the best up the middle D, and Jim Ray Hart (1.27) gives a very good corner guy added to them.
Best Pitching: Expos
The Giants have a case for best with three guys under 1 WHIP and under 7 H/9 (Marichal, Gaylord Perry, and Bobby Bolin), but Randy Johnson and Pascual Perez are the best 1-2 in the division, and Candaleria and El Presidente are right there with the Giants 3/4, and the Expos have a much better relief ace in Tim Burke
PEDs Division
Predicted Standings:
1998 Astros
2002 Braves
2012 Red Sox
Best Offense: Braves
The Astros have a very good offense, but the Braves have 5 elite hitters with 1.000+ ops and 4 of them have .600+ SLG. In addition the Braves worst hitter is BJ Surhoff at 854 OPS.
Best Defense: Astros
None of the defenses are off the charts, and all are pretty close to each other. Astros have 2B Biggio (2.21), SS Bogar (1.93), CF Hidalgo (1.12), and 3B Spiers (1.15).
Best Pitching: Red Sox
Astros have a great 1-2 in Verlander and Randy Johnson. The Braves have Maddux and Smoltz. The Red Sox have 2-time league Cy Young in 2000 Pedro Martinez, the deepest rotation in the division with Rich Hill, Buchholz, Lester, and Beckett ranging from 73-86 rank, and putting them solidly in the top spot is the league’s best bullpen going 5 deep with relief aces. |
